Features

The Los Alamos Volunteer Examiner Group will give exams for amateur radio licenses at 6:30 p.m. in the Club Meeting Room at 4017 Arkansas (the Old Fire Barn). If you are testing for a new license you will need a picture ID or two other forms of ID with your name and address on them (utility bill, credit card bill or other) and a test fee of $15, either in cash or check made out to “ARRL VEC.” You will need to fill in your Social Security number on the form 605 License Application. For those seeking a license upgrade, you will need the picture ID or two other forms of ID plus your original license and a copy of the license or a valid CSCE (Certificate of Successful Completion of Exam) and a copy of the CSCE, plus the exam fee of $15. For more information, call Bill Boedeker at 662-4220 or email boedeker@cybermesa.com.

There’s still time to sign up for the annual spring break trip to Washington, D.C.
This trip is available to Los Alamos Middle School and homeschool eighth-grade students. The trip is private and not school-sponsored.
The trip will include sightseeing in and around Washington, D.C. and Baltimore Md. Highlights include the White House, the International Spy Museum, the Walter Reed Medical Museum, a Capitol tour, the Washington Monument, the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian Museums, the National Zoo, Arlington Cemetery, night tours of the Presidential Monuments, the Iwo Jima, Korean, the Vietnam Memorials, the Newseum, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the National Aquarium in Baltimore and much more.
The trip will be four days and three nights in duration. The group will stay in a five-star hotel in Arlington, minutes from the D.C. sites.
The deadline for receiving the current price on the trip is Jan. 15. After this date, sign-up will continue until airline seats are no longer available, however, after Jan. 15, the price may increase if airline prices increase.
Call Roberta Cocking at 505-670-0679 or 623-225-7953 with questions.
Visit worldstrides.org to sign up for the trip using trip ID Number 77813 or call 1800-468-5899 using same ID Number.

The Los Alamos Animal Shelter, 226 East Road, 662-8179, has a great selection of onsite adoptable pets waiting for their forever home. Others are currently off-campus in loving foster homes.
Be sure to visit the Friends of the Shelter website, lafos.org, where you can get more information about volunteering, adopting and donating. Also check out the Petfinder page for pictures and to learn more about all of the adoptable pets, petfinder.com/shelters/friendsoftheshelter.html.
This would be a wonderful time to consider giving a home to one of the animals in the shelter. Open Sunday, Monday, but closed Tuesday. All adoptable pets are spayed or neutered, have their shots and are micro chipped.

DOGS
Gizmo— Year old, nice, friendly mixed breed boy. He just came in. He is reported to be very clever, so a secure yard will be a must.
Gracie — Ten to 12-year-old Cocker Spaniel. Rescued off the street and brought back to health by a good neighbor. Not great with other dogs, but a good companion for a quiet family.
Reggie, Fly and Romper — Border Collie-mix puppy siblings. Seven-months-old, neutered/spayed and up-to-date on shots.

“New World Cuisine: The Histories of Chocolate, Mate y Mas,” is on exhibit at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, through Jan. 5. For more information, visit internationalfolkart.org.

Taos artist Maye Torres will exhibit “Maye Torres: Unbound,” at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos. Her one-person exhibit opens Saturday and remains on view through Jan. 27. For more information, visit harwoodmuseum.org or call 575-758-9826.

Participants will learn how these sorcerers of the sewing needle get their inspiration and experience, about their most challenging projects and worst disasters, what it is like working with actors and more.
“Ever wonder who dreamed up that gorgeous costume on the ingénue? What makes the villain look so evil?” asks Kay Grant, founder of Theatre Lovers Community.

Join Pajarito Environmental Education Center for a winter hike or snowshoe along the East Fork Trail Jan. 13. Michael Altherr, experienced hiker and skier, will lead this outing, which will meet at PEEC at 9:15 a.m. and return around 3 p.m.

This winter hike or snowshoe (weather-dependent) will lead participants along the East Fork Trail from Las Conchas to the East Fork Trailhead. The trail follows the meandering East Fork of the Jemez River for approximately two miles before climbing up to the top of the mesa.

Then it descends almost imperceptibly through quiet woodland for about three miles, ending back at the trailhead on N.M. 4. Hikers can expect one rise of significance (~450 feet in ¾ mile) with an obstacle (cattle gate) near the top.

A snapshot of the Theoretical Division at Los Alamos in 1945 reveals a leadership structure that is disproportionately of Jewish heritage; the division leader, deputy division leader, chief consultant and six of the eight group leaders were “Jewish” by some definition of the term.

Of the roughly 80 individuals in the division, four (all “Jewish”) would go on to become Nobel Laureates. These individuals’ backgrounds and connections to Judaism were varied. In this talk, Shlachter will explore members of this leadership team and speculate on the connection between their presence at Los Alamos and their Jewish roots.

The Fuller Lodge Art Center is seeking art for its first thematic exhibit of the New Year titled, “Behind the Scenes.” There’s a story behind every piece of artwork; something magical in the process of its creation. Create and collaborate to help tell the whole story — and document all steps. Download an application for the show at library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103899759177-507/CFA_Behind-the-Scenes-form.pdf.

Los Alamos Little Theatre presents “Frost/Nixon,” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4,5,11,12,18 and 19; and at 2 p.m. Jan. 13. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors. They are available at C.B. Fox or at the door. For more information, visit lalt.org.

The League of Women Voters will have their monthly Lunch with a Leader at 11:40 a.m. Jan. 10. The speaker will be Tom Ribe. The event is open to the public.

Ribe is a native of Los Alamos, raised by long-time League of Women Voters activist Mally Ribe.

He worked for Los Alamos National Laboratory between 1992 and 1997 in the Environmental Restoration program. He has his master’s degree in environmental policy from the University of Oregon and has written extensively on energy, public lands and wildfire.

His talk will cover Los Alamos’ power sources and urge an update of the electricity supply over the next decade to address climate change.

The Los Alamos Arts Council's January Brown Bag Series will feature guitarist Dr. Gregory Alan Schneider. The concert will be at noon Jan. 9 at Fuller Lodge.

Schneider, a composer, guitarist and educator, holds degrees from Indiana University and the University of North Texas.

His compositions have been performed across the U.S., Canada and Europe. As a guitarist, he has performed as an orchestra member with the Santa Fe Opera and served as artist-in-residence for five seasons with the SFO.

He owns Music Together of Los Alamos, has served as music director for the Los Alamos Choral Society, teaches at the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos and teaches guitar/bass privately.

There is an opportunity awaiting those who made a New Year’s resolution to get into shape and get fit.

The Strong Women and Men program is a research-based strength training program for women and men 50 years of age and older. Previously called the StrongWomen and Men Growing Stronger programs, this offering allows for both women and men to strength train in the same class.

Scientific research has demonstrated that exercise with weights(strength training) will increase strength, muscle mass and bone density in middle-aged women and men.

Friday
The Fuller Lodge Art Center is seeking art for its first thematic exhibit of the New Year titled, “Behind the Scenes.” There’s a story behind every piece of artwork; something magical in the process of its creation. Create and collaborate to help tell the whole story — and document all steps. Download an application for the show at library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103899759177-507/CFA_Behind-the-Scenes-form.pdf.

Los Alamos Little Theatre presents “Frost/Nixon,” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4,5,11,12,18 and 19; and at 2 p.m. Jan. 13. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors. They are available at C.B. Fox or at the door. For more information, visit lalt.org.
Sunday
A Cowboy Breakfast will be from 7-11 a.m. at the Los Alamos Sheriff’s Posse Lodge, 650 North Mesa Road. The menu will feature plain, blueberry, banana, chocolate chip and special variety of the month pancakes, along with sausage, bacon, eggs, juice and coffee. The cost for adults is $7 and is $4 for children 10-years-old and younger. Proceeds benefit the Los Alamos County Sheriff’s Posse.
Jan. 7

Los Alamos High School senior and NJROTC Cadet John Gibson, is one young man that likes to make things a little better, when there is something to be done. The ’Topper teen is currently the commander of the tug-of-war and small-bore rifle teams and a cadet ensign with four years of service in NJROTC.

“I enjoy the practice of mutual support that I see every single day in the cadets,” Gibson said. “The unit runs on the effort, blood, sweat and tears poured in by each and every cadet. If it weren’t for each one, we could not have the whole.”

Like any club or organization, the unit finds itself raising funds to travel to events and compete in a variety of areas. Gibson knew that in addition to regular fundraising duties, he could contribute a bit more.

He was inspired to make paracord bracelets after attending a Science Technology Engineering and Math seminar, in Daytona, Fla. Gibson attended the presentation at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, via the NJROTC program.

“It’s no secret the unit is very active in the community and as a result of our constant travel expenses and materials costs, I was simply trying to do my part to give a little bit back to the organization that has given me so much throughout high school and helped prepare me for my future,” Gibson said.

The Fuller Lodge Art Center is seeking art for its first thematic exhibit of the New Year titled, “Behind the Scenes.” There’s a story behind every piece of artwork; something magical in the process of its creation. Create and collaborate to help tell the whole story — and document all steps. Download an application for the show at library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103899759177-507/CFA_Behind-the-Scenes-form.pdf.

Jan. 7

The Pajarito Chapter of the Embroiders Guild of America will meet at 7 p.m. at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Signs at the door will direct you to the meeting location. After a short business meeting, the program will be needle felting. For more information call Marilyn at 672-9404.

Navy Ensign Bruce W. Melton has graduated from the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Power School at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Goose Creek, S.C.

Nuclear Power School is a rigorous six-month course that trains officer and enlisted students in the science and engineering fundamental to the design, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants.

Graduates next undergo additional instruction at a prototype training unit before serving as a Surface Warfare Officer aboard a nuclear-powered surface ship or as an Electronics Technician aboard a nuclear-powered submarine.

Learn about the underground life of the forest from 10 a.m.-noon Jan. 12 at Pajarito Environmental Education Center. Biologist and author, Leslie Dendy, will give a talk and demonstration on the study and identification of critters that live in the soil.

Instead of looking at plants and animals that live above ground in the forest, this class will check out the much more numerous and seldom-seen critters underground in the complex soil ecosystem.

Adults with ongoing health issues might be interested in joining a free, two-and-a-half-hour MyCD Workshop, being sponsored by Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization, the Los Alamos Cooperative Extension Service and the Family Y.

Attendees will get the support they need, find practical ways to deal with pain and fatigue, discover better nutrition and exercise choices, understand new treatment choices and learn better ways to talk with their doctor and family about health. Those with conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic pain or anxiety could benefit from a MyCD Workshop.

MyCD Workshops will be once a week, from 1:30-4 p.m., for six weeks, beginning Feb.5 at the Betty Ehart Senior Center.